1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to mats useful for protecting floor surfaces from being soiled by contact with dirty liquids or other sources of dirt or contamination. Such mats are useful at entryways to buildings to collect soil and as protection from the elements as well as useful in hallways between factories and offices, entrances to laboratories, industrial clean rooms, and the like. Furthermore, such mats will be useful in association with likely spill areas such as locations for vending machines or other beverage dispensers. In particular, the present invention is directed to such mats that are highly effective and yet can be produced and marketed at a cost consistent with disposability. In addition the present invention is directed to means for placement of such mats including holders and other means for retaining the mat in position.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Protective floor mats are well-known and have found widespread application. In general, the mats are either durable and relatively costly or paper-like and intended to be discarded after a brief period of use. Examples of the former range from carpeting, throw rugs, and other woven or tufted fabric mats while the latter types principally are made of paper-like materials such as are commonly found in new automobiles or runners used in protecting carpeting in newly constructed housing. There have, however, been investigated other structures designed for applications having somewhat more demanding requirements but where disposability or limited use require low costs. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,856,610 to Bruneel dated Dec. 24, 1974 describes a floor mat having an absorbent body portion which may be a woven or nonwoven fibrous fabric, fiberboard, paperboard, cotton or the like that is contained within a liquid impervious skin. The skin is perforated on the upper surface to permit liquid to pass through and into a series of aligned pores in the body member. It is alleged that liquid and small particles become entrapped in the pores and retained. U.S. Pat. No. 4,421,809 to Bish, Sagel and Trinh dated Dec. 20, 1983 describes a floor mat having a flocked surface that is bonded by means of a hydrophilic adhesive to an impermeable polymeric film. This combination may be further bonded to an absorbent secondary backing which may have an adhesive surface for improved hard floor stability. This structure may include a nonwoven primary backing in place of the film, but the film is preferred to maintain a thin structure. U.S. Pat. No. 4,143,194 to Wihksne dated Mar. 6, 1979 describes a disposable floor mat and holder combination wherein the mat may constitute tacky sheets, and the holder has means for reinforcing bevelled surfaces and may include interlocking means for combining mats to produce a larger surface. U.S. Pat. No. 4,285,075 to Nelson dated Aug. 25, 1981 is directed to a commode mat having a holder and absorbent mat. The absorbent mat may comprise a diaper-like construction with a nonwoven outer surface and film backing. However, grill work is provided as a top wear surface and is part of the holder structure.
In spite of these teachings, there is not commercially available, as far as is known, a floor mat that is sufficiently durable for use at entryways and the like without a grill work structure and yet is sufficiently low cost that its use may be consistent with disposability. Such a mat would avoid the high cost of woven and other relatively permanent structures and provide effective service. Furthermore, such a mat having a relatively limited life that could be used for advertising and promotional purposes is desired if available at a sufficiently low cost that it could be frequently changed.